However, a historic site on North Bridge Road - which contains Singapore's first cinema Capitol Theatre and two other heritage buildings - has been released on the reserve list sale system as planned.

This means that the site will be put up for tender only if developers indicate interest by committing to a minimum bid.

The 1.59ha hotel site at Kallang River - part of plans to transform the Kallang Riverside into a waterfront lifestyle precinct - was also scheduled to be made available on the reserve list this month.

But its release has now been deferred to next June, said the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on Thursday.

It said it needs more time to finalise the detailed planning and development conditions of the site as they relate to the broader plans for the area. The URA is working with other agencies on that, it said.

'(The deferral) could be a reaction to the current poor market conditions,' said Credo Real Estate's executive director Tan Hong Boon.

The URA is probably taking advantage of the slower market to re-do its plans for the site, said Knight Frank's director of research and consultancy, Mr Nicholas Mak.

The two consultants said the site would be unlikely to attract interest even if it were made available now.

They are also pessimistic on prospects for the 1.46ha North Bridge Road site, boasting three historically and architecturally notable buildings: Capitol Theatre, Capitol Building and Stamford House.

Read the full story in Friday's edition of The Straits Times.